Lighting appliance.



L. LANGNER.

LIGHTING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s, 1915.

Patented May 1, 1917.

LAWRENCE LANGNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIGHTING!- APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 19117.

Application filed February 3, 1915. Serial No. 5,910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE LANGNER, citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements n lighting appliances of the well-known semiindirect type, that is appliances in which the lighting of a room is obtained partlyby transmitted light, and partly by reflection from a ceiling or like reflecting surface. As a general rule, this reflectionis obtained from an ordinary ceiling by hanging the globe or dome in relatively close proximity to the ceiling. The globes or domes used in lighting systems of this character are generally made of translucent glass having good light-transmitting qualities, such as the wellknown Alba glass, and the total illuminating effect produced by the lighting appliance is dependent in most cases upon the light-transmitting quality of the glass employed, this transmitted light predominating over the reflected light in producing the desired illumination.

Domes or globes of the character employed for semi-indirect lighting suffer from the disadvanta e that dust tends to collect in the interior 0 the dome, thereby preventing the transmission of light through the dome, so that the quality of the illumination produced by direct light transmission is materially impaired. This results in a general loss of illumination, notwithstanding the fact that no obstacle is presented by the dust to the reflection of light, because as stated above, the value of the illumination is for the most part dependent upon the amount of light transmitted rather than upon the amount of li ht reflected. It is a matter of extreme di%cult v to clean such domes or globes, owing to the fact that they must be mounted relatively close to a ceiling or the like, in order that the light may be reflected from the ceiling into the room with the desired amount of diffusion. Apart from the inaccessibility of the dome, it is also an extremely difficult matter to clean the dome when hanging in its normal position, owing to its shape, which is generally like that of a bowl, making it almost impossible to clean the dome with a duster, as the dust tends to cling to the bottom and side-walls of the dome. The best way to clean such a bowl is to take it down from the ceiling, invert it, empty out the dust and then wash it. I

N ow the objectof the present invention is to so improve upon semi-indirect lighting appliances as to prevent losses in transmitted light and to render the cleaning of the appliance a relatively simple matter, which can be performed without difliculty, notwithstanding the inaccessible location of the dome or globe. the invention will now be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a dome for semi-indirect lighting, provided with a single electric lamp, the dome being partly broken away and certain of the parts including the lampholder being shown in section.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the ceiling, to which is attached in well-known manner the mounting 2, from which hang chains 3, engaging with a metal ring 1, supporting the annular bowl-shaped glass dome 5, made of Alba glass or any other suitable translucent light-diffusing and transmitting glass. Over the top of this dome and forming a closure thereto, I place a circular plate 9, made of clear transparent glass, mica or the like, and preferably though not necessarily, curved as shown. This glass plate is formed with an opening in the center thereof, the bore of which is sufliciently wide to permit of the insertion of the well-known electric incandescent lamp 10, screwed into the usual socket 11 and connected by the conductor 15 with the source of currentsuppl v in well-known manner. Beneath the socket 11, I arrange a plate 12, which is preferably, though not necessarily, made of light-trans initting material, such as clear transparent glass, and this plate 12 is formed with a bore 13, adapted to take under the socket 11 of the electric lamp fixture. In assembling the above lighting appliance, the dome with the plate 9 in position is secured to the ceiling in well-known manner. The threaded portion 14 of the electric lamp is inserted through the bore 13 of the plate 12, after which the lamp is inserted in the opening in the large plate 9 and screwed into the socket 1]. The plate 12 therefore serves as a simple means of mounting the electric lamp in the dome. It will'be apparent that two or three openings may be provided in the plate 9, when it is desired to employ a number of A preferred embodiment of incandescent lamps, thus doing away with the necessity of providing metallic fixtures- -mination. Owing to the smooth surface of the clear transparent glass and also to its curved shape, the dust will tend to fall off this surface, especially by reason of the circulation of air in the room in which the fixture hangs. Such dust as may remain on this glass plate will not seriously affect the total illuminating qualities of the appliance, inasmuch as the transmitted portion of the light whichv is relied upon to give the greatest illuminating effect is protected from the dust. A further advantage of the improved fixture resides in thefact that the glass plate 9 in addition to supporting the lamps may also serve to support the electric conductors, so that such conductors will not fall into the dome-portion where they would show through as black shadows on the dome. Moreover, none of the electric lamp supportingjixtures will throw shadows on the dome. he lighting appliance in accordance with my invention, which may occasionally be the case, can be readily cleaned without removing it, as all that is necessary to do is to take a duster and wipe the plate 9, which can be done without difficulty, notwithstanding the inaccessible position of the dome near the ceiling. The replacement of an electric lamp can also be eflected without removing the plate 9.

While I have described the plate 9 as being made of clear transparent glass, it is apparent that it might equally be made of Alba glass or similar glass, though it is preferable to use a clear transparent glass. However, in certain cases it may be desired to have the color of the reflected light different from that-of the transmitted light, in which case the plate 9 might be made of suitable colored glass, for instance, amber glass,

' as a result of which special and pleasing light effects can be obtained. The invention is also applicable for use in gas-lighting appliances. While I have shown the plate 11 supporting the'electric lamp, it is apparent that other means might be employed for that purpose. It will also be obvious that the plate. 9.need not be made in one part, as shown herein.

I wish'it to be understood that my invention is capable of numerous modifications, as A will be apparent those skilled in the art,

when it does require cleaning,

and I do not intend by the claims which follow to limit myself to the specific form of the invention herein described and illustrated.

What I claim is 1. In a lighting appliance, a bowl of translucent glass, means for suspending said bowl, a detachable glass plate formed with an opening therein supported by the upper part of said bowl, a lamp extending through said opening, a socket for said lamp, and a member interposed between-said lamp and socket bearing on said glass plate and closing the opening therein.

2. In a lighting appliance, a bowl of translucent glass, means for suspending said bowl, a glass plate formed with an opening therein supported by the upper part of said bowl and a lamp extending through said opening and supported by said plate.

3. In a semi-indirect lighting appliance, an open bowl of translucent glass, a plurality of flexible means connected with the periphery of said bowl to suspend said bowl, a detachable light-transmitting means overlying said bowl, supported at the periphery of said bowl, and adapted to be removed from said bowl bypassing it between said flexible means, a lamp within said bowl and beneath said light transmitting means, and a flexible conductor connected to said lamp.

4. In a. lighting appliance, a bowl of translucent glass, means engaging with the periphery thereof for suspending said bowl,

an open bowl of translucent glass, meansjor...

suspending said bowl from the periphery thereof, transparent light transmitting and dust excluding means located at the upper portion of said bowl supported in position entirely at the periphery of said bowl, and having an opening therein, said bowl and last mentioned means together inclosin a space, a lamp in said space and mean's% e-' tween the lamp and light transmitting means coverin the opening in the latter.

6. In a lig ting appliance, a bowl of translucent glass having an open-upper portion, means for supporting said bowl, lamp supporting means comprising a transparent surface arranged over'said open portion, and a lamp supported by said supporting means and inclosed between said supporting means and said bowl.

7. In a lighting appliance, in combination a bowl of translucent glass having an open upper portion, and lamp supporting means comprismg a transparent surface arranged over said open portion;

8. In a semi-indirect lighting appliance, a

bowl of translucent glass, a glass plate formed with an opening therein and located over the upper part of said bowl, a lamp extending into said opening, and means supported by said plate for supporting said lamp. T

9. In a lighting appliance a bowl of translucent glass, means for suspending said bowl from the periphery thereof, a detachable light transmitting-and dust excluding means formed with an opening therein and covering the top of said bowl, a lamp extending through said second mentioned means and flexible supporting means for said lamp whereby said lamp may be removed through said opening.

10. In a lighting appliance, a bowl, a light transmitting means forming a closure for the upper open portion of said bowl, and a lamp within the space inelosed between said bowl and light transmitting means, said lamp supported by said light transmitting means.

11. In a lighting appliance, a bowl of translucent glass, means for suspending said bowl from the periphery thereof, and light transmitting means overlying said bowl and adapted to serve as a support for a lamp inclosed between said bowl and said light transmitting means.

12. In a lighting appliance, a bowl of translucent glass, means for suspending said bowl, a light transmitting means arranged to overlie the opening of said bowl, and a fixture on said light transmitting means adapted to receive and support a lamp.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 28th day of January A. D. 1915.

LAWRENCE LANGNER.

Witnesses:

II. LANGNER, E. DEPPE. 

